Sickening Allegations Against Former Donovan Campaign Worker

Robert Braddock Jr.: Reading the indictment is a slog through a swamp of corruption

The federal grand jury's indictment Wednesday of Robert Braddock Jr. is enough to make one retch.

And it might be enough to bring down Mr. Braddock's former boss, state House Speaker Chris Donovan, who is running for the Democratic nomination for the 5th District seat in Congress.

Mr. Braddock is the former finance director of Mr. Donovan's campaign. He was arrested by the FBI in May on federal campaign corruption charges and was promptly fired, along with two other campaign operatives, by Mr. Donovan when the scandal broke.

The indictment handed up Wednesday paints in unappealing detail a sordid picture of an apparently unsupervised, out-of-control campaign fundraising operation remarkable for its venality and hubris.

Quid Pro Quo?

According to the indictment, the conspiracy began last fall, when roll-your-own tobacco shop owners began making illegal "conduit" contributions to the Donovan campaign in the belief that the speaker would help quash any state legislation that might harm the industry's financial interest.

Mr. Braddock and a man called Unindicted Co-Conspirator 1, or CC-I, in the indictment but identified by sources as Ray Soucy, a state union activist and Donovan friend, were said to be at the heart of discussions about the quid pro quo.

Mr. Braddock and other campaign officials seemed eager to get the illegal money, no matter the conditions, and roll-your-own interests were eager to give it, the indictment suggests. The tribute started with $10,000 in bundled $2,500 checks. Before the conspiracy fell apart in May, $27,500 was given by RYO interests to the Donovan campaign.

On May 14, according to the indictment, CC-1 (Mr. Soucy) attended the nominating convention for Public Official No. 1 (U.S. attorney parlance for Mr. Donovan). CC-1 had a brief conversation with Public Official No. 1, then was led by a campaign aide to a back room "where CC-1 delivered a $10,000 payment in the form of three $2,500 conduit contributions to the [Donovan] campaign committee and one $2,500 check to a political party.

"As he was exiting the convention hall," the indictment continues, "CC-1 encountered Braddock. CC-1 and Braddock stepped to a quiet location, and CC-1 said that he had just 'thanked the man,' and that 'twenty thousand was well worth it … And another ten grand.' Braddock responded, 'You're the man.'"

Mr. Donovan, who initially met with RYO owners last November to discuss industry problems, claims he is innocent of any wrongdoing. Indeed, an inquiry commissioned and to be paid for by the Donovan campaign and headed by highly regarded former U.S. Attorney Stanley Twardy concluded that the speaker knew nothing of the alleged illegal contributions or the quid pro quo.

As Mr. Twardy said, there is no evidence — yet found, at least — that Mr. Donovan knew of the alleged illegal "conduit contributions" or any quid pro quo.

The Twardy report was flawed, however; it is as notable for the people who were not interviewed — those fired by Mr. Donovan or who otherwise lawyered up — as for those who cooperated in the unofficial investigation.

Corruption Cesspool

At bottom, it is hard to believe that Mr. Donovan could be unaware of the corruption cesspool bubbling at the center of his campaign. Talk about a hands-off management style.

The federal indictment names only Mr. Braddock, an itinerant political fund-raiser previously unknown to Mr. Donovan who, unaccountably, was permitted to handle, on his own, the campaign's most delicate, most necessary function.

And, according to the indictment, a host of unindicted co-conspirators, campaign workers, roll-your-own tobacco magnates, and stooges who wrote illegal checks to the Donovan campaign and were later reimbursed by the RYO interests — people called "dope addicts" and "drug pushers" by CC-1 — were in on the deal. Perhaps more indictments are to come.

If the grand jury's indictment is to be believed, Mr. Braddock ran wild. Public Official No. 1 could pay dearly for it.